


Just chill out a moment

by Ninetytwochairsonetable



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Chill, Gen, Happy Ending, Jason Todd-centric, Kinda, Light-Hearted, jason works through his problems, not very serious
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-15 06:55:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29555250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ninetytwochairsonetable/pseuds/Ninetytwochairsonetable
Summary: “'Right. So. Well... I know what my problem is. I’m going through the five stages of grief.'At that point, Talia decided to just go along with it."rated T for some language. implied violence.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 57





	Just chill out a moment

**Author's Note:**

> i needed to chill out, so i wrote a character also chilling out. hope you enjoy it. if there are mistakes or critiques, please tell me! i'd love to know and improve my writing. thanks for looking.
> 
> (also i didn't do a thorough edit. so if it's weird, sorry.)

Just chill out a moment

Talia wasn’t sure what to think when Jason’s room fell silent one day. The boy had always woken up screaming bloody murder. The silence was a new development, and Talia did not know what it meant.  
Cautiously stepping toward the room, she held up a fist to gently rap on his door. Only a few seconds later, Jason opened the door. He still had busted lips and broken fingers, the darkness beneath his eyes ever prominent. But the crease between his brows had disappeared, the tightness in the corner of his eyes all relaxed. Talia could hardly believe that angry child was the same as this somber man. _Not man_ , Talia corrected herself. _Not yet a man_.  
  
“Jason? How are you feeling this morning?” She settled on a neutral greeting. Jason twitched his lips, an attempt at a smile.  
“Better,” he replied lightly.  
“May I ask what brought on this sudden change in demeanor?”  
  
“Right. So. Well,” Jason started, contemplating how and where to start. “I had to physically tire myself out completely, because only then I could think a bit more clearly. And that thinking I did? I know what my problem is.” Talia raised a brow at his declaration. She hadn’t told him about the Pit’s effects yet, but perhaps he figured it out-  
“I’m going through the five stages of grief.”  


* * *

_When Talia said the things she said, the things about Batman and Robin, Jason felt shattered. He tried to deny it, accusing her of lying. After a few internet searches, Jason read articles about Robin’s return to the Gotham streets. And it obviously wasn’t Jason.  
Then the anger reared its head. He couldn’t think, only act. Jason could not figure out why he behaved this way. And honestly, the only explanation he came to after weeks of rampage was that Jason was going through the five stages of grief. The denial and the anger. Acting like an animal really did not appeal to him. At all. So Jason wanted to speed through the five stages as fast as possible. The next stage was bargaining. Then depression. And finally acceptance._  


* * *

Jason’s conclusion blindsided Talia. She did not expect… that.  
“Oh?” she inquired, not knowing how to proceed.  
“Yeah,” Jason nodded sagely. “So I spent the entire night trying to speedrun through all the stages. I think I’m somewhere between the Bargaining and Depression stages.”  
“...I see.”  
“And another discovery.”  
“Hm?”  
“All that green I see when I’m angry?” Talia knew for sure that was the Pit, but in the direction Jason took this whole situation, it could be anything. “That’s just me being jealous of the new Robin. I never knew being ‘green eyed’ was meant so literally.”  
  
As Jason went on rambling about his questionable founding, Talia took in the person before her. Jason really was just a child. A child whose emotions she had planned on weaponizing.  
“Talia?” Jason’s voice brought her out of her thoughts.  
“Yes, Jason?” She tried to cover up her lapse in attention.  
“So like, I don’t really have a plan or anything, but I still want to train from all those people you mentioned.”  
“You wish to be mentored by assassins?”  
“Yeah. I mean, you know. I don’t ever wanna be that helpless again.”  
At that point, Talia decided to just go along with it. There were other matters that needed her attention more now that Jason seemed to have straightened himself out somewhat.  


* * *

It was strange to be back in Gotham. It was just a few years away, but it felt like a whole lot longer. Jason was a changed man. Hooray. Acting like some feral beast was a time better left in the past. He was very glad to have the Pit under some semblance of control.  
With Talia’s help, Jason was able to quickly take over Gotham’s underworld. The rogues of his childhood no longer seemed so big. He was on the same level as them. (Not exactly a good thing, but authority was a powerful tool.)  
Now that Jason’s first chore in Gotham was completed, he moved on to the next. And that next chore was to deal with Batman and his underlings.  


* * *

It was a good thing Bruce had surveillance everywhere on his property, cave included. Made it much easier for Jason to have an inside eye on things. Browsing through the various cameras, Jason took his time, noting anything of interest. And there, a glass case in the cave he’d never seen. Zooming in, he squinted at the screen in disgust. “Aw, that’s sick. The fuck? Might as well preserve my dead body too, like yikes!”  
  
Batman really needed professional help.  


* * *

Tim and his little Titan buddies had a routine. It made them predictable. Way too easy to manipulate to Jason’s advantage. Sneaking around their base brought back memories of his time on the streets. Everything before his death was hazy. Faint and fading. It was hard to grasp, as if his memories were smoke and recalling them was his useless attempt to catch it.  
Jason took his sweet time in the tower. Strolling carelessly through the halls as they slept. Even rummaged through all the shit they left lying around. And of course, the kitchen. Opening the cupboard revealed everyone’s personal mugs, and Jason had his green eyes on one very specific mug.  
Tim’s special morning coffee mug.  


* * *

Bruce Wayne was not having a good day. He woke up from a nightmare with a pounding headache. Alfred had gone out to get groceries in the morning, so Bruce was left on his own. It was kind of Alfred to have so much faith in him, but Bruce could hardly do more than simple toast and eggs.

_“But Alfred! I can’t cook!”  
“Master Bruce, I saw you make a simple meal just the other day.”  
“But that’s all I know!”  
“You’ll live.”_

Yup. He’ll live.  
As Bruce got ready to head to the WE office, an emergency signal shrieked through his private phone. It was Tim.  


* * *

It was pretty cool. Not that Tim suddenly passing the heck out during breakfast was cool in any way. Just that both Nightwing and Batman came over for Tim. Tim, whose body was laying motionless in the medical wing.  
Nightwing paused his restless fidgeting and let out another deep breath. He turned to the rest of the teens. “Report.” He still managed to sound professional. So freaking cool.  
“Everything was normal this entire week,” Gar began. “We all woke up this morning, and Tim was second to arrive at the kitchen. He got his usual cup of coffee and sat down to eat with everyone. Just a few bites in, he faceplanted in his plate.”  
“All the food was prepared together in a single pan and divided afterward. And some of us drank from the same pot of coffee, but everyone else is fine,” Donna continued.  
“So far.” Batman just had to be like that. Nightwing gave him a discrete grimace and continued on with the questioning.  
  
Bruce’s mind was spinning like a carousel going a million miles an hour. And on fire. Nothing particularly made sense. The cameras were looped six hours during the night, a time frame too large to pinpoint much. Everyone reported nothing was altered beyond that. After examination, it was concluded Tim was merely unconscious. Just sleeping, really. The traces of poison they found in his system were weak and almost negligible. Honestly, it was Tim’s own lack of sleep and proper meals that resulted in his fainting.  
  
Despite the relatively small amount of damage done, it was clear the tower was compromised. Anything could have happened in those six hours. Like murder. A massacre. And no one would find out until way later. It was terrifying to think about.  
“Batman,” Nightwing interrupted his thoughts. “We found traces on Robin’s mug. It’s the only object he alone interacted with.” Nightwing’s face turned even grimmer. “Whoever did this knew that.”  
Someone was watching them, and they didn’t notice until it was too late.  


* * *

Jason was having a great time. His fancy schmancy time as Robin was good, but now, he was Red Hood. It was honestly kind of gross to take on that name, but the association made people wary just from hearing it. His reputation was awesome. Hell yeah.  
And everything he’d planned and so far executed worked like a charm. Robin was back in Gotham, temporarily banned from going out, Nightwing was keeping out of Gotham, staying vigilant in Bludhaven, and Batman was being Batman per usual. It was great, except for this Oracle person getting all up in his business.  


* * *

Barbara didn’t see much importance in the new player. He was just that. Another player in the game of Monopoly: Gotham Crimes edition. After a simple info check, she saved the file and forgot all about it.  
But the Red Hood kept coming up. Again and again and again. The street kids loved him. The corner girls and boys loved him too. The homeless and the single parents, the orphans and the widows… Red Hood watched over them all, and in turn, they stitched their lips together, breathing not a single shred of detail regarding the Red Hood. It was frustrating, their level of loyalty.  
Back Mask was getting irritated, causing more and more problems across the city. The Penguin was also being a bother, taking advantage of the growing unrest. It was only a matter of time for something big to explode.  
Barbara had to be ready. She was the Oracle. She had to know.  


* * *

The something big to explode were several warehouses scattered in Gotham. They were all mostly empty of people, but if left untouched, bigger problems would arise. Oracle had to call in Nightwing, and Batman had to bring Robin back in the field. Everyone was stretched thin, spread out, trying to keep the chaos contained as much as possible.  
It was great. It was perfect. Jason was ready to meet them.  


* * *

Batman landed on a roof, scanning his surrounding, noting every detail that popped out at him. Earlier, he had noticed a trend in his area. Everytime he checked out a suspicious lead, he’d see a clue in the corner of his eye in an area he’d already checked. It kept him running in circles, desperately trying to break out and find the bastard that caused all this.  
A shrill, mechanical whistle tore through the night, snapping Batman’s head around. He saw the Red Hood, hands behind his back, posture slack, featureless helmet staring right through his cowl.  
  
“Heya, B-Man.” The mystery man waved a hand. Like, literally a hand. It was not his hand.  
“Red Hood,” Batman answered tersely. The waving hand was pale and bony. It looked like…  
“Like it? It’s a little souvenir for you. Heh. ‘Hello!’” Red Hood made the hand flap mockingly.  
“What happened to the Joker?” Batman demanded.  
“Nothing much. He’s in Arkham. Not all of him, of course, but his main chunk is there.”  
“Why?”  
  
“Also, Robin’s mug was my doing too. In case you didn’t know.” Batman’s question was ignored expertly.  
“It was you.”  
“Yeah! It was a job well done.” The helmet tilted to one side, like some curious bird. “But do you know why I did it?”  
“Why?” Batman grit his teeth, Joker momentarily forgotten. The way the Hood behaved was too flippant for all the pain he dealt out.  
“To show you just how easy it is to snap your little birdies.” The severed hand was discarded like trash as the Red Hood stepped toward the Bat. Batman tensed and braced for an incoming fight. The Red Hood stopped just an arm’s length away, stood staring at the cowl’s empty gaze.  
Very slowly, a gloved hand reached the helmet. With a hiss of air, it released to reveal a rather familiar face.  
“J-Jason?” his name whispered out breathlessly.  
“Hi, B. It’s been awhile.”  


* * *

“But why didn’t you just tell me?! You know how much he matters to me!” Bruce was yelling into his phone across the room, and Alfred stood off to the side, unamused with everything. Dick, Jason, and Tim were sat on the couch watching Bruce pace.  
  
“Soooo, Talia treat you okay?” Dick asked his brother. It was a miracle. His brother was a miracle.  
“Hmm, yeah. I went through a lot of grief, but I think I’m at the Acceptance stage now. Talia helped me get through most of it. It helps now that I’m back home though.” Jason let out a fond sigh. “She really is something, ya know? Her first suggestion for me to do at Gotham was kill Robin.”  
Dick and Tim were silent. Jason was unaware of the weight of what he just said. Alfred only closed his eyes. Bruce stuttered a moment before yelling even louder.  
“WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN TEACHING MY SON?!”  
  
Tim slowly reached over and pat Jason’s hand. “Thanks, Jason. Really glad you didn’t do that.”  
“Heh, yeah. Me too.”


End file.
